Born in the what?!...A Birth Story

After having three previous deliveries, everything went so different this time around. Our daughter was born on a Wednesday. Two days prior, I had thought I was going into labor. I had experienced small, yet consistent, contractions. So, that evening I quickly began packing my bag only to realize it was a false alarm. However, the false alarm prepared me for when the real contractions came!

It was 12:45 am on Wednesday. I awoke to quickly discover my water had broken. It was just a slow small trickle. Later, I learned this happens sometimes if the bag breaks toward the top. I had never experienced this in my other three pregnancies. I came to find out later, that this labor and delivery proved to be a very new experience for me in many ways.

After tending to the mess, I quickly sent a message to my doula, my parents, and called the birth center to report the update. I was told to call back when labor started and if it didn't start by morning, they wanted to perform a "stress test" on the baby so I took my temp and rested.

At 4:30am I got hungry and ate a granola bar, but still no active labor. I slept in that morning hoping labor would start soon because I didn't want to need a stress test for the baby. I wasn't sure what a stress test was, but the word "stress" made me a little worried.

That morning we all tried to go about normal activity waiting for labor to start. I did some work, and had oatmeal for breakfast.  We went for a family walk to try and get labor going, still nothing. At two o'clock in the afternoon we went in for the stress test.

Previously, in my early pregnancy, my peace had been shaken after my ultrasound. The images revealed some slow growth causing the technician to change the due date to a later date. Now, once again my peace was being shaken as I considered my baby might be experiencing stress which was delaying labor. 

Thankfully, our baby girl passed the stress test and I was told she sounded like a happy baby! The recommendation was that I induce labor with castor oil and herbs. At this point I was feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted from the anticipation of going into labor as well as having had very little sleep. I felt very unsure about inducing labor myself this way and just wished so much labor would start on its own! My husband was a wonderful support in helping me through my exhaustion and indecision. One of the midwives shared her experience of when she took castor oil and herbs to induce labor. Her baby was born four hours later! After making a couple stops for supplies, eating a chipotle dinner, lining up childcare, and finally taking a  pre-labor nap we started the "Tincture Herbal Induction Protocol" at 6:50pm. If you ever find yourself needing to drink castor oil, I highly recommend it mixed with orange juice and peanut butter. I actually enjoyed the taste!

Fifteen minutes later at 7pm, after drinking the castor oil, the contractions started. Then I took the Black Haw, Black Cohosh and Partigeberry tincture, which left a burning sensation under my tongue. Fifteen minutes later my contractions were already consistently 5 minutes apart and I took the Cimicifuga pellets. At this point I called my midwife to inquire about driving to the birth center, but I was encouraged to wait another hour and continue with the protocol. Only minutes later my contractions occurred every two-three minutes and increasingly more intense, and I announced we needed to leave. As I walked down into the living room I found the boys and their grandparents just arriving home from dinner. I escaped to the bathroom where I had a longer more intense contraction including vocalizing. Later I figured this was when I entered the transition phase of labor.  I made it as far as the front steps before having to stop,  hunched over, to have another contraction. At the very same moment the next door neighbor kids were walking past me on their way home from school. My husband announced, "Don't mind us we are just having a baby!" The twelve year old boy and teen girl replied with surprise and bewilderment, "Oh!"

I told Joshua to pull up the van and I attempted the walk unassisted. However, my Dad came outside just in time for me to have another contraction and I held onto him for support. He then helped me to the van and brought some towels. Since we live in close quarters with several other families in our row of houses, I attracted quite the crowd from the surrounding neighbors as it was near the dinner hour and in broad daylight!

I wasn't sure if I could sit in the van and momentarily considered having the baby at home, but I finally got situated in the front passenger seat and labor seemed to slow down for a time. We finally called the midwife announcing we were on our way and later learned the midwife responded by saying she wasn't ready for us. It was a race for everyone to arrive at the birth center as quickly as possible.

I labored the whole ride and felt the baby move down with each contraction. About five minutes prior to arriving at the birth center I got some longer stretches of rest and then I felt baby crowning! I announced to Joshua I could feel the baby crowning when, moments later with the next contraction, our baby girl was born right there on the leather seat of our Honda Odyssey! As Joshua looked over at this sight he responded and yelled, "Ooh no! Ooh no!" He was very panicked and wasn't sure what to do. After quickly pulling over to the side of the road and calling the midwife, she instructed me to pick up the baby and hold her on my chest.  I was smiling as I held our baby and told Joshua to take a picture as we drove the rest of the way to the birth center. Minutes later we arrived at the birth center and I was wheeled inside with the baby. Here Joshua cut the umbilical cord and I delivered the placenta. I got a repair for a minor tear and learned I had lost minimal blood, eliminating the need for a Pitocin shot. This delivery resulted in me being in better condition than I had been after my three previous deliveries. 

This delivery was an incredibly energizing and elating experience for everyone involved. I couldn't have asked for a better story or a better experience. The delivery playlist I prepared was never used during labor as it all happened so quickly, but I used it before and after delivery. The days after this delivery were filled with visits and meals from friends and family. The first month was stressful as breastfeeding was very slow and difficult, but we persevered and it improved. We have been able to share an amazing birth story!

When sharing with many people that our baby girl was born in the van, people often sympathize with me assuming it must have been a negative experience. Some expecting moms have confessed that this is something that they fear might happen to them. I hope that my story may be an encouragement to those who have fear around this possibility. I truly wouldn't have wanted it any other way, and looking back I see how God was preparing me for this all along the way.

One of the books I read before delivery shared stories of women who had given birth unassisted without complications. There are stories of women who have given birth while in a coma, or alone in a women's bathroom. Of course I acknowledge there are many deliveries that are high risk and have complications and require assistance, but there are also many deliveries that need very little. Whichever, experience you have, know there is Someone who is with you all along the way. Someone who is preparing the way for you and your little one. He is our "Co-laborer" Jesus Christ.

Peace to you,

Esther